Defining the Horizontal Customer Interface of the DX 200 Platform Author: Mikko Kariola Supervisor: Prof. Timo O. Korhonen Instructor: M.Sc. (Tech.) Heikki Bayr

Contents Background DX 200 platform & product lines Transition to horizontal business model Research problem Methodology Results Requirements Product and documentation Development process Interface organization Conclusions

Background The thesis is done for the DX 200 Platform organization of Nokia Networks The DX 200 Platform serves a number of Nokia’s Product Lines DX 200 Platform consists of HW and SW elements The Product Lines produce various fixed, 2G & 3G network elements: MSC, BSC, … One of the Product Lines is sold to an external company Transition to Horizontal Business Model

GSM network

MSC network element and computer units

Vertical business model Internal Product Lines PL 1PL 2PL 3 PL 4 Vertical Customer Interface DX 200 Platform organization Same Company

Transition to horizontal business model Internal Product Lines PL 1PL 2PL 3 PL 4 External Product Line Horizontal Customer Interface Vertical Customer Interface DX 200 Platform organization Interface Organization Different Companies

Collaboration terms Collaboration roles Subcontractor Prime contractor Customer DX 200 Platform: Prime contractor -> Subcontractor Subcontractor Prime contractor Customer

Research problem What are the requirements of the new business model for the development of the DX 200 platform? What kinds of modifications are needed? What is needed to change in the DX 200 platform product to meet the new business requirements? How is the development process of the DX 200 platform changed to meet the new business requirements? What kind of organizational interface is built between the external customer and the DX 200 platform?

Horizontal Customer Interface elements The new horizontal customer interface contains definitions for: the application programming interface (API) of the platform product and the platform documentation the product development process and the communication over the organizational interface SW deliveries, maintenance, training, … the interface organization Product ProcessOrganization

Methodology Literature study Platform & Product lines Product/Software development Vertical & Horizontal business models DX 200 System description Interviews Development process of DX 200 Platform Analysis of the requirements and building of the Horizontal Customer Interface based on the literature and the interviews

Results – Requirements Benefits of using the platform shall be maintained Confidentiality shall be preserved

Results – Requirements Maintaining the benefits of using the platform contains the requirements of both of the parties in the horizontal business model: the framework that the external product line needs for developing its application, and the feedback that the platform organization needs from the product line for the development of the platform. The confidentiality requirements reflect to: the product and its documentation, the ways of communication, and the structure of the organization

Results – Product and documentation DX 200 System is modular of nature Basically suitable for horizontal business IPR (Intelligent Property Rights) belong to the supplier – DX 200 Platform Product development environment has to be provided for the customer Tools: SCM, code editors, debuggers, compilers, test automation, … Licenses for tools may have to be acquired

Results – Product and documentation Platform documentation Before: Scattered to many places, confidential material not separated, visible to all Goal: All material classified Common material to a ”Common disk” Platform deliveries Before: Source code accessible to customer Goal: Binary deliveries Changes in SCM process

Results – Development process Ordering of new features for the platform More emphasis required on preliminary work: better analyzed requirements Product decisions External customer does not have access to product decision making Implementation & testing No feedback from the customer on detailed (confidential) design System (& functional) level testing done in customer organization Fault management Fault reporting tool & visibility to reports Training Both internal & customer training required

Results – Development process Services Fixed services (fixed pricing) New platform releases Fault management SW engineering environment One-off services (occasional projects) On-site technical support Training New SW feature orders New HW components

Results - Communication Communication practices need to be controlled All communication between the external customer and DX 200 Platform is directed through an interface organization NDA Communication boards Changes at an individual level Mindset of a customer servant Learn what is confidential & not to be revealed to external customer All work to be agreed before starting e.g. a design task Requirements and schedule & effort estimation play an important role

Communication boards External Customer R&D Product Management Management External Customer Management Management Board Platform Follow-up Roadmaps Fault Follow-up Maintenance Platform Organization Customer Organization SW engineers

Results – Interface Organization All DX 200 Platform development functions have to managed in the interface Interface roles Product manager: Collecting of requirements, product decisions Integration project manager: Integration of new release to external customer use Maintenance manager: Fault follow-up Agreement manager: Interpretation of general agreements, support in contractual issues Competence transfer manager: Providing adequate competence to external customer for the use of platform services

Results – organizational culture Organizational culture changes Different mindsets for internal & external customers Priority setting Optimization of resource allocation between internal & external customers A rise in cost-awareness The costs become more visible to the platform organization Potential for better efficiency

Conclusions The case is much simpler than a horizontal customer without previous experience of the DX 200 Platform The transition period enables smooth separation of the organizations Changes in processes are possible, but require approval from both sides